ALCOHOL 



Spirits Exported. 



Total quantities of Spirits distilled and charged with Excise Duty for consumption in 

 England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland, in each of the years ending 31st of 

 March, 1866, 1867, 1868. 



The following are the quantities of spirits charged with duties of excise in each of 

 the years named : 



1842. 

 1844 . 

 1846. 

 1848. 



Gallons. 

 18,841,890 

 20,608,525 

 24,106,697 

 22,234,379 



1850 

 1852 

 1854 

 1856 



Gallons. 

 23,919,432 

 25,270,262 

 26,148,511 

 23,922,453 



1858 . 

 1860 . 

 1862 . 

 1864 . 



Gallons. 

 23,686,751 

 21,873,369 

 19,700,250 

 21,039,582 



Every English distiller has now to pay a licence-duty of ten guineas before he can 

 lawfully conduct operations, and afterwards a duty of 7s. Wd. per imperial gallon 

 of spirits, proof strength, which he produces. 



The Scotch and Irish distillers had to pay the same licence-fee as tho English ; 

 and in addition to this, the Scotch distiller paid a duty of 4s. 8d. per imperial gallon 

 of proof strength, and the Irish a duty of 3s. 4d. ; but the duties are now equalized. 



AXiCOHOXi, METHYLATED. It was for a long time a great desideratum 

 for the manufacturer to obtain spirit free from duty. The Government, feeling the 

 necessity for this, have sanctioned the sale of spirit which has been flavoured with 

 methyl-alcohol, so as to render it unpalatable, free of duty, under the name of 

 ' methylated spirit.' This methylated spirit can now be obtained, in large quantities 

 by giving suitable security to the Board of Inland Kevenue of its employment 

 for manufacturing purposes only, and must prove of great value to those manu- 

 facturers who are large consumers. 



Professors Graham, Hofmann, and Eedwood, in their ' Eeport on the Supply of 

 Spirit of Wine, free of duty, for use in the Arts and Manufactures,' addressed to the 

 Chairman of the Board of Inland Eevenuo, came to the following conclusions : 



' From the results of this inquiry it has appeared that means exist by which spirit 

 of wine, produced in the usual way, taay bo rendered unfit for human consumption, 

 as a beverage, without materially impairing it for the greater number of the more 

 valuable purposes in the arts to which spirit is usually applied. To spirit of wine, 

 of not less strength than corresponds to density 0-830, it is proposed to make an 

 addition of 10 per cent, of purified wood-naphtha (wood or methylic spirit), and to 

 issue this mixed spirit for consumption, duty-free, under the name of Methylated Spirit. 

 It has been shown that methylated spirit resists any process for its purification ; tho 



